The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-03

turn, rs each goes forward.
| "Where's my trunk TO go" continues she,
having hardly glanced at Ada and me.
libby, the rcmiss, has now appeared on the
scene. Upon our guest deigns TO bestow =
prolonged stare.
Jack" call, 'eome and help upstairs with
the trunk" the while regarding with some
CONSERVATION the unwlcldy article before me,
and thinking with some dismay how It will
oil up our tiny spare room.
"0ut Of the way, please" says our Cousin,
putting me rather summarily on one side.
'You lend hand here" addressing libby,
who Is standing looking on open-mouthed
from the background.
Before anyone can demonstrate, the trunk
| Is half way up the staircase and all ! can do
| Is To follow.
As / predicted. after IL has found . resting
| place there Is not much surplus room In
Cousin Mary's apartment.
libby retres after depositing II, and enter
| half hesitatlng.
"Not much room to turn here" remarks
our guest, coolly surveying our much-thought
| Of spare room.
cat least you have It 10 yourself" say,
| coldly. "You could have had part OF larger
room, but we fancied you would prefer this to
such an arrangement. / am inwardly thank
| full there is no question Of my shating room
with my companion. She had got rid Of her
ulster and hat, and is brushing her hair before
| the mirror. She then turns and looks At me
sharply, as speak, then resumes her occupa.
tion In silence. Her appearance is far from
prepossessing. Tall and large boned, she I'm
presses one as almost coarse In feature. She
has q mass OF thick, brown hair, which she
wears in fringe cut low on her forehead aud
falling down behind In large chignon quite
out Of date. Her complexion Is brilliant; she
has thick lips and rather a heavy jaw, and
large dimpe on her chin. In short, she might
have been comely, but that, perhaps from
rough mode of life, she had become coarsened.
She has large red hands, too, and wears .
quantity Of tasty cheap looking jewelry.
Before have finished my mental summing
up process, my companion breaks In on me-
sam TO go down stairs nowi" she inquiries
with strong American accent, which rather
surprises me, although l have head that
Cousin Mary spent part Of her childhood In
America.
we'll 90 down to tea II you are ready
"This is cosey, and no mistake" eIclaims
my companion when we reach the psrlor, with
Its dainty tea table and bright lights.
$50 we all tea together" she goes on, taking
no notice OF Jack, who regards her as sort
OF phenomenon from the background.
"I'm tree to confess you're not so stuck M
as English folk in America" (The last word
she pronounces "Ameriky.n
No one responds to her remark. ] privately
wonder II she expected TO take tea in the
kitchen and at the same time decide that the
surroundings there would be more in keeping
than her present ones.
won't you sit near the fret" says mother,
who, can see, Is making an effort TO be hos
pitablc. you must be cold after your jour
ney."
Mary plants herself down with her back to
10 the fire, and scans the tea table with look
OF supreme satisfaction.
Then we are silent. First there are so few
subjects we may breach. We must not speak
OF Uncle Edgar, our Cousins father, In case
Of awakening too painful memories, as he Is
but lately dead. Weknow nothing about her
She knows nothing OF us. We have absolute
ly nothing In common.
"IIavc you been long in America" asks
mother presently; this evidently presenting a
safe opening.
Long" laughs our guest, "Bless you, I've
lived there half my days"
A slight flush passes over mothers face, but
she makes another brave effort. "Indeedi
| did not know you had been there so long
You must iind England great change"
"That do and it's with no will OF my owr
| ever set foot on IT, I've been shnmcfully
cheated" and Cousin Mary purses up her lips
and her face already flushed with the warm
room, becomes scarlet with INDIGNATION against
some unknown one who has decoyed her from
the New England World under false pretexts
We feel that indirectly she has cast slight
on us by her last remark, unexplained as it
is; so we keep silence. In the meantime she
fills her saucer with half the contents Of her
cup, aud drinks them off, posing the saucer
derterously between her thumb and fingers.
Jack here gives vent 10 a suppressed litter,
and kicks me under the table, but am in no
mirthfu mood. It is all too serious.
$50 you keep two servantsl" blurts out our
guest abruptly breaking the silence.
The question takes US by surprise. i see
Ada's expression of face meant to warn our
visitor she Ia going two far. Jack nudges me
and taps his forehead significantly, with a
covert glance at Cousin Mary.
"No,n say; wha. makes you think so. We
have only one"
"Ob, / thought you meant to keep two
now,n she remarked composedly, proceeding
with her tea.
Everybody relieved when the meal comes
90 an ond A. its cioea our Ouesf has hecofne